Now that we’re nearing the end of Dry January, I thought it was the perfect time to share one of my newest discoveries – Gin1 Seltzers. I don’t tend to drink too much (or too heavily) at home, but sometimes I just want to enjoy a cosy evening in, usually with a book or a few great movies. Having a drink as delicious as Gin1 Seltzers just makes the whole thing feel even more indulgent.
With only 58 calories per can, the drinks are sugar-free, low-calorie, low-carb and are even gluten-free. Mixing together award winning Declaration Gin with Number1 Sparkling Water and a twist of Orange, the cans are super refreshing. I like to have mine poured over crushed ice, with a slice of orange – and I’m already looking forward to enjoying them in the warmer weather too!
Gin1 Seltzer is priced at £30 per case and is available here.
With lockdown around for the foreseeable future, I’ve been thinking about ways to enjoy the weekends, and basically celebrate not being locked to a laptop for the majority of my waking hours, and apart from taking myself out for our recommended exercise jaunts, it’s been pretty humdrum. So, when Pasta Evangelists offered me the chance to enjoy restaurant-quality pasta at home, I absolutely jumped at the chance.
I’d seen the brand in Harrods, and been intrigued to how the whole idea works, but in a word – it’s genius. The brand have a seasonal, weekly menu, where you choose a couple of dishes, you choose your delivery day, and then sit back and wait for your fresh, handmade pasta to arrive. It’s super simple, and it arrives perfectly chilled, and the pastas and sauces are all labelled, so you can easily tell what goes where.
I cook ragu and similar sauces pretty regularly, so we wanted to try a couple of dishes I don’t make at home, so we went for the Fettuccine with Black Truffle Alfredo and the Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Crispy Pancetta.
I think what impressed me the most was the pasta – it was incredibly fresh, and came coated in semolina to prevent sticking, and obviously it was delicious. Between crisping up the pancetta and heating up the sauces, dinner was ready within a matter of minutes, and honestly, it was divine. Rich and cream, the fettuccini was rich and studded with morsels of savoury truffle, whilst the Carbonara was deliciously salty. We had ours at the weekend, and it made for such a wonderful treat – we’re already planning our next order!
You can save 30% when you order from Pasta Evangelist when you use the code LUXEPASTA here
With under six weeks to go until Christmas, it’s fair to say that the Festive Season this year is going to be rather different from normal. Whether you normally spend it surrounded by friends and family, or perhaps you treat yourself to a few days away in a luxe hotel, it’s not going to be ‘normal’, and as a result, the way we get to treat our nearest and dearest is going to feel a little odd too. To make up for the weirdness (and the general WTF which has been 2020), I’m going hard on finding the best bits to gift, and I thought I’d share my finds with you too.
One of my favourite finds has been the Craft Whisky Club – a members club, which treats your giftee to a full-size bottle of the finest small batch and artisan whiskies the club can find, delivered to their door every two months. The whisky comes beautifully packaged, and delivered to their door in eco-friendly packaging. As if that wasn’t enough, there are extras in every box – mine came with an etched crystal whisky glass, alongside a box of delicious savoury crackers – perfect for snacking on alongside the whisky of choice.
The first box from the Craft Whisky Club features The Lakes Distillery The One Orange Wine Cask Finish. I always think orange is such a festive flavour, so this feels lovely as a Christmas gift, and I’ve heard such amazing things about the distillery, and since it’s quite small, there’s a good chance that whoever you’re sending this too, still has it on their ‘to try’ list.
I absolutely love how a subscription introduces you to new distilleries, and in addition to all the goodies in the box, there is even a voucher to enjoy a tour the distillery (obviously when life gets back to normal). In the meantime, there’s the whisky to enjoy – finished in orange wine casks from Andalucía, there are notes of fresh lychee, marmalade and hints of tobacco on the nose.
Sounds like the perfect present? You can choose your perfect level of membership here
Memberships: 1 bottle every 2 months (£29.95 / Month) or 2 bottles every two months (£55.95/ month)
When it comes to festive treats, the best ones are always the most unexpected. Last Friday, after a seriously busy week, which involved multiple 14 hour days and all sorts of ups and downs, I came home exhausted, only to find a parcel left on the doorstep. Inside was possibly one of my favourite care packages I think I’ve ever had – a seasonal gift from one of my favourite ever brands – Ladurée.
I’ve been obsessed with their iconic macarons for as long as I can remember – no trip to London or Paris was ever complete without a trip to one or two of their tearooms, so to find a box of their mince pies was such a treat. Packaged up in their signature packaging, the pies were just the pick-me-up I needed.
Without a doubt, Ladurée’s mince pies were some of the most delicious I’ve ever tried. Crisp, buttery pastry was filled with a boozy mix of nuts and currants. Topped with a rich crumb, we popped them in the oven for a few minutes to heat them through, and honestly I couldn’t think of a better Christmas treat!
I think the pies might be an in-store only purchase, but you can treat yourself to all sorts of treats here
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been something. I’m pretty sure no-one could have predicted quite how disastrously it’s turned out, but despite the challenges, a few good things have come of it – and one of the most delicious has to be Deviant Cookies – a brand new mail order service bringing the most decadent goodies right through your letterbox.
I was very kindly treated to a selection box of six flavours (chocolate chip, chocolate walnut, funfetti, Biscoff, Red Velvet and Oreo) to try, and honestly everything from the super chic packaging, to the yummy treats inside completely made my day. After all, these aren’t your regular biscuits, instead Deviant Cookies make some of the biggest treats I’ve come across, and in a stroke of genius, they all come individually wrapped, so you can stash them in the freezer, then pop them in the oven for five minutes whenever you’re in need of a sweet treat.
The warming them back up in the oven makes them all oozy, with a soft centre and gooey fillings. A few of the flavour options (funfetti, red velvet and Biscotti) have surprise centres, so these get especially gooey when heated – a seriously guilty pleasure!
The choice of flavours available is really bang-on. It’s so hard getting fun, more American styles of cookie – especially those like the funfetti, so I feel like Deviant are really offering something super special.
I know it’s Halloween at the end of the week, but with a few weeks to go until Christmas, I think a box of Deviant’s finest would make an awesome gift. They come packaged beautifully, and they fit straight through the postbox, so you don’t need to worry about those annoying missed parcel slips.
The fact that they come individually parcelled, also means you could buy a few a slot them into people’s stockings or gift bags for an extra delicious treat!
The cookies are priced at £4 each, and a box of 6 is £24. You can find them here
